Homeowner Forum / Construction / September 2008

I would tell your friend not to buy the house.  Woodpeckers do peck for
food, not for entertainment.  If they are finding food in the siding I would
be concerned about infestation of the house.

The reply is correct....
When you see Blue Jays, Ravens, Woodpeckers, and other birds.....pecking
away, they are looking for insects in the wood.
Carpenter ants hide under wood shingles, and in the wall.
Other boring beetles, ants, etc. inhabit there also....
One can get a termite report, and see if the damage is serious....
It should have a termite report done anyway as per sale........
yes there are remedies......
jloomis

Get rid of the bugs that will get rid of the wood peckers, termites,
carpenter ants, are no fun

Part of the inspection (this mythical friend did get an inspection,
didn't you?) should have included noticing such activity and the offer
should be/have been contingent upon rectifying the problem(s) or at a
bare minimum at least discovering what they're after.

It is possible that there really isn't any insect infestation but rather
wind or other causes (electrical hum on power poles is a prime example)
of noises that can attract woodpeckers.  Or, they may for some reason
think a warm, dry spot under an eave is a good candidate for a nesting
location.

The frat house in uni days was cedar shingle-covered and they simply
loved the enclosed area between the two wings that faced west and was
well protected from wind, etc.  Nothing more than an attractive spot; no
insect infestations despite it being an old house.  The end solution in
that case was to side a favorite portion w/ metal to discourage
them--eventually they figured out it didn't dig so good any more... :)

In short, need to get more info and a plan before heading into the
transaction further.